Milwaukee Bucks Preview: Game 2 at Toronto Raptors

Player To Watch: Kyle Lowry

Kyle Lowry might not have to drop 50 points for Toronto to win in the playoffs, but he’ll need to put up more than four points on two-for-11 field goal shooting for his Raptors to stand a real chance.

Lowry believes he’s got to score more as well, even if that means taking more shots in a series where he’s shooting around 18 percent from the field and has yet to make a three-pointer. He said as much after Game 1, according to Doug Smith over at The Toronto Star.

"“Put it this way: I guess I’m going to have to force shots,” was how Lowry put it Sunday afternoon. “My teammates want me to be more aggressive, so I’m going to have to force some more shots, simple as that. “Because I felt like I made the right passes (in Saturday’s 97-83 loss at the Air Canada Centre) . . . You’ve got four arms on you (from two defenders guarding every high screen play), but I gotta be more aggressive.”"

That strategy could cause the Raptors to get a spark from one of their leaders becoming more aggressive, or it could backfire if Lowry forces shots that continue to miss their mark. The Bucks might secretly hope that Lowry does continue to shoot against them.

In his Raptors career, Lowry has shot 38.5 percent from the field and 30.5 percent from three-point territory. He’s scored 18.2 points per game, but it’s taken 15.8 shots per game to get there.

Being 6’0″ in the NBA is not easy, but it’s even more difficult to dominate a playoff series at that height. The game tends to get more physical in the postseason, and in recent years Lowry hasn’t performed up to his usual standards in the playoffs.